Hurricane aftermath continues Couple joins in helping Sandy victims

It has been taking a while for legislators in Washington D.C. to approve federal aid for victims of Hurricane Sandy, but volunteers, such as Kathy and Alan Gray of Branch County, have already been lending a hand.

It has been taking a while for legislators in Washington D.C. to approve federal aid for victims of Hurricane Sandy, but volunteers, such as Kathy and Alan Gray of Branch County, have already been lending a hand.

Hitting the East Coast toward the end of October, the hurricane not only pounded those on the Atlantic coast, it reached into the mainland, affecting Michigan as well.

Sandy also affected the Grays, and Kathy said they felt the need to do something.

They connected with Samaritan’s Purse, a companion organization to Billy Graham Ministries and run by Graham’s son, Franklin and traveled to New Jersey for a week of volunteer work starting Dec. 17.

Specifically, they went to Toms River, part of Barrier Reef Island, just off the mainland. Ortley Beach there, Gray said, took the brunt of the storm.

It was three weeks after the storm before people could get on the island, where Sandy took all the sand and dropped it on the streets and houses. They had to bring in snowplows, and the sand will need to be cleaned before being returned to the beaches.

There were mountains of sand all over, Gray said, along with mountains of destroyed appliances.

The Grays, who attend Lockwood Community Church in Ovid Township, unrolled sleeping bags and ate at the Church of Grace and Peace at Toms River, which was relatively unscathed.

They worked daily with seven other volunteers on their team, pulling up floors and tearing out walls of houses, working with generators since there was still no electricity.

There were nine other teams there at the same time.

Along with around 3,000 others who had traveled east to help after the devastation, they wore the orange shirts of Samaritan’s Purse to identify themselves, and were not allowed to walk about — the police were still being vigilant regarding looters.

As for Washington, D.C., lawmakers approved $9.7 billion in aid recently, and that legislation was signed by President Barack Obama.

A drop in the bucket, another $60 billion for aid is expected to be taken up Jan. 15. The first measure passed the Senate on a unanimous vote, and in the House 354 to 67.

U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Tipton, voted for the aid. His wife Susan was among those who engaged in the volunteer effort, at another time with another team.

In Branch County, those companies with connections to the east coast were disrupted by the superstorm, and from the region, LifeCare Ambulance sent crews to help in the rescue of victims, according to Tim Miner of Emergency Management.

Forty-foot waves were predicted for the Great Lakes as the storm unfolded, however, it was perhaps ironic that low lake levels, another problem, kept the waves to around 20 feet, according to news reports.

Page 2 of 2 - “They were just so grateful,” said Gray of the people of Toms River. “Some of the testimony, it just made you cry.”

The Grays were back home in time for the holidays, which they spent with family.

Of their work in New Jersey, Kathy said, “This was our birthday present to Jesus this year.”